It is fair to say that among the iconic 80s movies that deserves a sequel,The Gooniesis in the top five for many who grew up in the decade that gave us some amazing family films. But as fans celebrated the 36th anniversary of the movie’s release, one of its stars has further dashed hopes of that sequel ever happening.
Corey Feldman, who played Mouth in the 1985 fantasy adventure, has said thatGoonies 2cannot happen unless original director Richard Donner helms the project. With the 91 year old stating that his current work on a new and final installment of theLethal Weaponseries will be his “swan song”, the chances of him returning to the director’s chair for a secondGooniesouting seems increasingly unlikely.
As recently as 2019, the original cast and many fans believed thatThe Goonies 2could still happen at some point, however with Feldman and co-star Sean Astin previously pitching a script idea that was said to be “too expensive” by Donner, even though Goonies never say die, it looks like they never get a sequel either. That doesn’t say that there won’t be a reboot, as is usually the case, but that comes with a huge danger warning that should be applied to any much loved movie of the past. Speaking toDread Central, Corey Feldman had this to say.
“Well, Sean Astin and Josh Brolin want a sequel but you know. It’s one of those powers that be things. Every time I thought, ‘Okay it’s really gonna happen,’ I’ve been let down and had my heart broken. I think I probably believed it the most over the pandemic. Because I thought ‘Okay, it’s[The Goonies] anniversary,we did two reunions in one year, we went back and read the script together. And [screenwriter] Chris Columbus himself even said on the call with all of us, and in subsequent emails, ‘Guys I’m so inspired, I’m actually writing again. Like I’m gonna do this. We’re doing this.’ And then, nothing.”
In 2020, the entireGooniescast, including Feldman and Astin along with the likes of Ke Huy Quan, Josh Brolin and Robert Davi, participated in avirtual Goonies reunionduring the first part of the Covid19 shutdowns. While this and other appearances stoked the talk of a future forGoonies 2, it seems that some things just aren’t meant to be.
Corey Feldmancontinued, “I don’t know what the hell it is. But all I know is that when I found out my dear friend Richard Donner had signed on to doLethal Weapon 5as his swan song, well that pretty much sewed up the rumor mill right there. It’s done. We cant make [The Goonies 2] without [Donner]. And [Donner’s] off shooting guns with theLethal Weaponpeople.”
“And that is the shame of it. Because, just like when we did the Zooms last year, I mean it doesn’t matter how many grey hairs everybody’s got on their faces, the love is still there. And the family feeling is still there. And I know that secretly, each of us weeps at night wishing that there was that magical [The Goonies 2] script landing on our doorstep the next day. But unfortunately and sadly, it still has not arrived.”
During theGoonies2020 virtual reunion, Steven Spielberg commented that the main reason the sequel had never happened was very simple; they hadn’t found an idea that was better thanThe Gooniesthey made all those years ago. If only more people took the same stance, we would probably end up with a few less sequels that really just shouldn’t have been made.
While a sequel may be slowly sailing off into the sunset to the echoes of “Hey you guys”, fans of the movie have spent the day tweeting and posting memories to celebrate the 36th anniversary, while over on TikTok, super-fan user Paul Johnston-Naylor, who goes by the username of GoonieDad, encouraged everyone to celebrate with him by cracking out their own copy of the movie. Check out some of this below.
